The roster for the Eastern and Western playoffs has been officially determined.

The four sets of matchups in the West are Nuggets vs Lakers, Warriors vs Mavericks, Spurs vs Thunder, and Trail Blazers vs Rockets.

In the East, Nets vs Wizards, Raptors vs Heat, Cavaliers vs Bucks, Celtics vs Hornets.

And the official end of the playoffs has also set the league's various data lists.

In terms of the scoring list that people pay the most attention to, Wang Chao finally had the last laugh, with an average of 35.8 points per game, he won the scoring champion in the 17-18 season, which is also the eighth time he has won the scoring champion honor in his career.

Harden and Wang Chao in the January scoring war is almost on par, if you don't look at Wang Chao's last three game scores, it is indeed comparable, but with the subsequent game schedule, Harden's average points per game began to decline slightly, although the magnitude is not large, but obviously because of the reason for being hit by Wang Chao, there is no enthusiasm as at the beginning.

In the end, Harden's average points per game was fixed at 35.2 points, which is not much different from Wang Chao.

Although he lost to Wang Chao in the competition for the scoring title, Harden's performance of 35.2 points per game still surprised many people.

You know, before that, players who could score more than 35 points per game could be counted on one hand, aside from those ancient times, the only players who could do it in the modern era were Jordan, Kobe, Wang Chao and Harden.

Even if Harden is a little worse than Wang Chao, but in the league at this stage, his scoring ability alone is definitely at the only level.

It deserves the league's praise for its performance.

On Wang Chao's side, the average score of 35.8 points per game is the third highest score in his career, but the change is that Wang Chao has declined in rebounds and assists.

Wang Chao, who has maintained an average triple-double per game for five consecutive seasons, has 35.8 points, 10.4 rebounds and 9.4 assists in the regular season this season, and both rebounds and assists are new lows in recent years, especially the assists fell below 10 times, breaking Wang Chao's record of consecutive triple-doubles per game.

Of course, there is a reason for the decline in these two figures.

In terms of rebounding, the team already has the presence of Gobert, a basket-protecting center, and does not need Wang Chao to focus on rebounding as much as before. This season, Gobert also averaged 10.7 rebounds per game, and it is relatively rare for a team to have two players averaging double-doubles per game, and in Wang Chao's impression, it seems that in recent years, it has been 17-18 seasons, and the original Pelicans' thick eyebrows Davis and DeMarcus Cousins' twin tower combination has done this, and it is estimated that it is the Lakers' Gasol and Bynum, and the Spurs' Stone Buddha Duncan + Admiral Robinson's interior twin tower combination.

To sum up, although Wang Chao's average rebounds per game have decreased, it is because of Gobert, the Nuggets have two players who average double-doubles in rebounds per game, and rebounding is considered the top level in the league, and it is definitely not a point deduction.

As for the average assists per game, the average of 9.4 assists per game is a significant decline from last season's 13.5, but in the league, it is the second assist in the league after Westbrook's average of 10.3 assists per game, and compared with Wei Shao's assist-to-turnover ratio of nearly 2:1, Wang Chao's assist efficiency can be compared with Chris. Paul compares to one.

The main reason for the decline in Wang Chao's assist statistics is that there are not so many players in the Nuggets team who can directly feed the ball to form assists.

Murray may be a player who can play off-ball offense, but as a 3-and-D player, PJ Tucker's disastrous fixed-point shooting ability will never produce a few assists.

Gobert's pace is slow, and the efficiency of blocking and going down is not high, and as for Mitchell, it is better to play at his own level or break through the frame with the ball.

When the eyes came to the bench, Rose was also a player who needed to attack with the ball, Kuzma was a good player at cutting cakes, but in this way, the whole team was suitable for playing with Wang Chao and brushing assists, and there were only two people, Murray and Kuzma.

In fact, as long as Wang Chao is willing to brush hard, before the end of the regular season, it is not a big problem to brush the assists to more than double digits, and it can definitely be done.

But now Wang Chao no longer has the obsession with data a few years ago.

The quasi-triple-double data of 35+10+9.4 may kill many OCD patients, but it is not important to him at all.

The average triple-double per game for the previous five consecutive seasons is basically unprecedented, and later, Westbrook, who is particularly obsessed with data, has a slight chance to compete for this record, but if according to the original historical development process, Wei Shao will only be able to reach the level of an average triple-double per game in four seasons at most, and it is still hard to brush, which is completely different from Wang Chao's gold content.

The winners of the block and steal list are Anthony Davis, who averages 2.6 blocks per game for the Hornets, and Victor Oladipo, who averages 2.4 steals per game for the first team.

Wang Chao's blocks and steals are 1.2 and 1.8 respectively, although the two data together are also quite top defensive giants, looking at the league can not find a few players whose data are close to him, but it is still the same sentence, compared with Wang Chao himself in previous seasons, there is a significant decline, or more defensive work is handed over to teammates Gobert and Tucker and others.

The change in strategy has allowed Wang Chao to only rank third in the odds list for the best defensive player award.

At the top of the DPOY list is Anthony Davis, who averages 2.6 blocks and 1.5 steals per game, followed by Wang Chao's teammate Gobert, who has 2.3 blocks and one steal.

Although there is a significant decline in all other statistics except scoring compared with last season, no one thinks that Wang Chao has become weaker, on the contrary, they feel that Wang Chao in the Nuggets is more terrifying, because everyone knows what Wang Chao is really the strongest.

Even if Wang Chao's average triple-double performance per game and super dominance on the defensive end in the past few seasons have made him the title of the most versatile player in NBA history, what people remember more is Wang Chao's scoring ability!

In the case of the overall shrinkage of other statistics this season, Wang Chao's horror on the offensive end has been shown again, especially the scene of scoring points with Harden in January, which is still unforgettable, the whole process is understated, and then the last three games were cut with 70 points and two 60 points, and a wave completely broke Harden's confidence, which is shocking.

"A Wang Chao who has no worries on the defensive end and completely liberates his offensive ability is the most terrifying existence! As a team with only one All-Star player, the Nuggets can be the only team in the league to win 60 in the regular season. ”

"I don't know how many people still remember that Barkley used to let go of his rhetoric before the start of the regular season that if this Nuggets team could make it to the Finals, he would eat a bowl of horse manure, and I'm already starting to look forward to it."

Barkley has been very melancholy recently, because looking at the Nuggets who are in excellent condition and full of combat effectiveness, even if he has been full of confidence before, he is a little uncertain.

According to this situation, it is really possible for the Nuggets to break through in the West!

After all, with the Nuggets' record of No. 1 in the West, they will not meet the two strong teams of the Warriors and Spurs in the second round, and their opponent will only be the winner between the Rockets and the Trail Blazers.

In the Western Finals, whether they are facing the Warriors or the Spurs, with the ability of Wang Chao and the Nuggets' existing defensive systems, it is very likely that they will defeat their opponents and win the Western Finals.

What will he really do when this day comes? Did you really eat a big bowl of horse manure in front of the whole rice live broadcast?

Even Barkley, who is a man of his word, can't do it to this extent, this is not the same concept as kissing a donkey's butt at all, it will really kill someone!

By the time he was commenting on the final games of the regular season, Barkley had already begun to think about how he could get rid of the gamble, even if he was publicly ridiculed and insulted, it was better than actually swallowing.

But no matter what kind of apprehension he feels, he will still need to be in charge of the commentary for the opening game of the playoffs.

On April 15, 2018, in the opening game of the first round of the playoffs, the Nuggets faced the challenge of the Los Angeles Lakers at their home court.

The match was broadcast live from all over the world, and as the main pillar of TNT, Barkley came to the studio early.

As soon as he entered the studio, Barkley's brow furrowed.

"Oh my god, what does this smell like? It stinks! ”

Then he saw that in front of his seat, there was a large bowl, and in it was the things that he had been thinking about during this time, and he would even dream of when he went to sleep.

“WTF？ Who brought this? ”

Barkley yelled frantically, and then he saw O'Neal snickering not far away.

"Dear Charles, today is the Nuggets' playoff opener, and I want to remind you that this bowl is always waiting for you at the start of the season."

"It's the first round! It's just the first round! It will take at least a month and a half to determine whether the Nuggets can win the Western Conference finals and enter the Finals, so why do you think I will definitely lose? Take it away! Do you want to work here in a while? ”

Barkley clutched his nose and yelled.

This segment was filmed by the cameraman throughout the whole process and placed in the video publicity before the game, and the effect of the program was instantly full.

——

The Nuggets' first-round opponent, the Los Angeles Lakers, was able to break into the playoffs this season, which was both unexpected and reasonable.

First of all, internally, Wang Chao's butterfly effect has brought a lot of convenience to the Lakers, and they not only got the 15-year champion Carl. Anthony. Downs, even in the following two years, got Brandon. Ingram & Jason. Tatum.

After the three players grow up, they are all players who can easily contribute 20+ points per game, especially Tatum, who will be the league's favorite local star in the future, regardless of whether he can't support Adou, after all, he showed an average of 30 points, 8.8 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game in the regular season.

Although the champion Downs is called a soft egg in the future, he is also a high-quality All-Star interior who can steadily contribute 25+10 and shoot close to 50%.

Ingram also averaged 24+5+5 per game at the peak of his future.

These three players gathered with the Los Angeles Lakers to allow the team to rebuild directly on the spot, showing great talent and fighting power.

Of course, talent and the fighting power of young players alone are not enough to make it to a place in the competitive West, so in addition to internal factors, external factors are also important factors for them to make the playoffs.

This pot also has to be borne by Wang Chao, because it is also his reason, Gobert and Mitchell are now in the Nuggets, resulting in the Utah Jazz, who should have been ranked fifth in the West with a 48-34 record this season, directly hovering outside the top 10 in the West and have started rebuilding work in advance.

The New Orleans Pelicans, who are also ranked sixth in the West with a 48-34 record, suddenly lost the two top interior twin towers of Davis and Cousins, and their record is also at the bottom of the West.

In the end, the Minnesota Timberwolves, who should have entered the playoffs with a 47-35 record and ranked eighth in the West, several core players in the 17-18 season, Towns ran to the Lakers, Butler was thriving in the Spurs, Wiggins is now the right-hand man next to Brother Alphabet, and he finally traded the Lefu fire sale last year, and is still in the process of rebuilding like the Pelicans.

The withdrawal of the three playoff powerhouses has left the Lakers with no competitors at all, and among the remaining teams, the only ones who can compete with the Lakers for a playoff spot are the rivals of the same city, the Clippers, but the lineup on the Clippers' side is obviously too inferior, even if there is Luis, who averages 22 points per game. Williams, who finished ninth in the West with only 40 wins, watched his rival return to the playoffs after five years.

The Clippers missed the playoffs for the first time in seven years, and they have never missed the playoffs since Paul joined the Clippers in 11 years.

To be honest, this sense of contrast is quite frustrating.

While the Clippers fans are envious and jealous, they are also praying, hoping that the Nuggets can teach the Lakers a hard lesson in the playoffs, hoping that Wang Chao can lead the Nuggets to win the championship and retire, and then join the Clippers, so that the Lakers guys can no longer laugh!

Their prayers obviously worked, or rather, they didn't have to pray at all, and when the Nuggets faced the Lakers, it was a crushing game in itself.

Not to mention anything else, just looking at the team lineup, the Lakers take the lead to win?

The Lakers' current main players are mainly Towns, the No. 7 rookie in 14 years, Julius. Randall, Ingram and Tatum.

Among them, Downs has performed well this season, averaging 21 points and 12 rebounds per game.

Randle and Ingram each average 16.1 points per game, and as a power forward, Randle has slightly higher rebounds than Ingram.

As for Tatum, his tactical position with the Lakers is the fewest of the four potential rookies, similar to the situation when he was with the Celtics at the same time, so the stats are similar, averaging only 13.4 points and 4.2 rebounds per game.

Their overall strength is actually not worthy of entering the playoffs, but there are not enough competitors in the West, so they are replaced, and how can such a group of Lakers, who have little experience and lack of major offensive players, be the opponent of Wang Chao and the Nuggets?

The opening game was directly turned into a bloody massacre by the menacing Nuggets. (End of chapter)